MEET US

RISA GOTLIB

I worked in NYC for five years before returning to Ann Arbor. As the stresses of life became greater there, I turned more and more to my yoga practice as a way to become “good with me.” Yoga has benefited so many aspects of my life and continues to lead me on a path of happiness that I am privileged to share with my students.

Years of iyengar, power, hatha and vinyasa have influenced my style of teaching alignment based ashtanga and vinyasa. Classes are highly energetic and set to music. Come breathe, stretch and sweat!

Adam Johnson

Seeking some relief from dissertation-writing and the burdens of academia, Adam found himself exploring physical activities as a way to decompress and improve his wellbeing. Interval-style training appealed to him because of its variation of activities and, though initially skeptical, he came to enjoy group exercise for their fun, goal-oriented atmosphere. Group exercises like HIIT presented the motivation and a challenge he found lacking in solo exercise; it kept him honest and committed. When he began to regularly practice yoga, Adam appreciated its paired mental and physical benefits. These days, he seeks a good balance between the fitness goals of HIIT and the mind/body toning of vinyasa. He invites everyone to come add to your vinyasa practice with the total-body workout of HIIT!

ANIQUE PEGERON

My yoga journey has its roots in mindfulness. When I started meditating 9 years ago, it changed my life; it taught me how to find a sense of peace within, let go of external expectations in order to be true to myself, and approach life with more presence, balance, and gratitude. I've always been an active person too, so I came to yoga a few years ago as a mindful form of exercise. I've suffered from chronic pain since I was a kid, and yoga has helped me to stabilize and heal those areas. The mind-body connection is so powerful, and yoga is such a gift to the body AND the soul, that eventually I was hooked. I completed the RYT-200 with TBY in the Spring of 2017, and have been integrating the gifts of yoga into my work ever since. In addition to teaching at TBY, I offer mindfulness and yoga programs for kids, teens, families and adults in the community. Come check out my classes for a mindful, soothing, and caring energy.

Anne Marie Olbrot

Anne Marie first turned to yoga over 10 years ago in an effort to prioritize her mental and physical wellbeing as an undergraduate student. She fell in love with the nurturing approach to physical fitness and the integration of both yin and yang energies into her self-care routine. She has since used yoga as a tool for counteracting stress, turning inward to establish a mind, body, spirit connection, and to restore confidence in her body. She completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2017 through Tiny Buddha Yoga, and is thrilled to be sharing the gift of yoga with her community.

BRENICA HARVEY

When I first started yoga about 4 years ago it was just a way for me to hang out with my friends and get a little "work out." Since then it has become so much more to me. Yoga has become a way for me to honestly explore my emotions in a safe place. My practice varies, some days I move quickly to loud music and others I sit and listen to my own breath. That's what I've come to love so much about yoga, it's always exactly what I need it to be.

The more my yoga practice evolved, the more I've wanted to learn. In February 2018, I completed my RYT-200 at Tiny Buddha Yoga. I love this community so much and I can't wait to help my students explore all yoga has to offer. I truly believe there is a practice for everyone, it's right there inside of you!

CARRYN LUND

After dabbling with yoga as a way to counter knee and hip pain from running, I developed a true practice after my first hot vinyasa class. I was hooked by the music, the energy, the challenge, and the beautiful peace that comes from finding stillness. It’s been true love ever since. In 2014, I completed my Yoga teacher training. My classes reflect aspects of yoga I love the most; energy, challenge, emotional balance, connection and most of all, fun.

CASEY DAY

My very first yoga class was right here at Tiny Buddha Yoga. I have found a strong community of students and teachers who taught me to move freely, breath deeply, and live vibrantly both on and off the mat. As a nursing student and calisthenics instructor I have always been passionate about healthy living, but this practice has allowed me to move towards more holistic state of wellness and self-understanding.

As a teacher my goals are to create space for personal growth, inviting students to bring the peace they find on their mats into their daily lives. My classes are inspired by the fluidity of Vinyasa flow, the tradition of Ashtanga yoga, and my passion for both dance and bodyweight conditioning.

Chelsea Cendrowski

Chelsea’s mother also teaches yoga so she grew up supported and enriched by this ancient practice and was inspired to share its transformative power with others. After experiencing her own trauma it only deepened her resolve to serve others holistically. Her focus turned inward and she connected with her passion and purpose in this life. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan, her 200-hour yoga certification and completed her 140 hour trauma-informed yoga training through YogaFit. Chelsea is continuing to expand and develop her holistic services to care for the mind, body and spirit. Every aspect of our being is interconnected. Only by turning our focus inward and caring for every aspect of our being can we begin to heal. Chelsea looks forward to inviting you to turn your focus inward, helping you cultivate compassion, resilience, peace and equanimity on the mat, which you will carry with you into your life.

DOMINIQUE THEOPHILUS

Dominique completed Yoga Teacher Training in 2011. She has since become a beautiful voice in the yoga community and builds connection between all ages through the yoga practice. She currently teaches workshops, classes and camps for children, teenage and older adults. Dominique enjoys the genuine feedback from her students and the impact she has on their lives to live more with their whole heart.

JULIE CAMERON

Julie attributes her introduction to yoga to an episode of the Rosie O’Donnell show from 1998 featuring Madonna, in which Madonna “taught" Rosie how to practice Ujjayi and do a Sun Salutation. Julie followed along, and the seed was planted. Seven years later, Julie took her first yoga class while attending college. It was an Iyengar class that she enjoyed, but it didn't quite pull her in. It was another four years before Julie hit the mat again, turning to yoga to relieve pain caused by hours tied to a desk, working as a web developer. She had discovered a weekly, hatha-based podcast that allowed her to develop a daily personal practice at home. She stuck with it, and three years later moved to the Ann Arbor area, where she discovered and fell in love with hot vinyasa. After practicing at various studios and at home for four more years, Julie decided to deepen her practice through Tiny Buddha Yoga's teacher training program. Now, she works to share her calming presence and light with the students of TBY.

KATE MAKAROFF

If you have ever thought of yoga as an integral piece of your overall health and wellness lifestyle, you will find a likeminded teacher in Kate. A long time practitioner, Kate was first introduced to yoga at the age of 15 by her grandmother. She has since completed her 200 hour yoga certification at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe Arizona, 300 hour advance yoga teacher training with Shade of yoga teacher training in Ubud Indonesia, as well as supplementing her training with the 50 hour Yoga Works bridge program, and a 50 hour Baron Baptiste power flow immersion program. In her quest to provide an overall healing experience to the mind, body and heart, Kate is also a licensed aesthetician with fourteen years of experience. Always seeking to expand her knowledge base, Kate is forever learning and growing her yoga practice and teachings. Kate's classes are exceptional in that they provide challenge to any level of practitioner; yet her calm, focused instruction and peaceful energy makes even the most difficult positions accessible to everyone. Her love of music and unique ability to integrate songs into her teaching creates an overall mentally relaxing yet physically demanding experience that is not to be missed. If you seek to improve your physical and mental balance and energy in this world, Kate's classes are a must.

LINDSAY GREEN

Since I was 15, I have been practicing yoga as a way to approach the challenges of my human experience. I immediately felt a connection to yoga and have used it as a way to remain grounded as the world changes around me. I completed my RYT-200 with TBY in Spring 2017 and am deeply grateful for the amazing community I have found here. I work to create a safe, mindful space for my students where they can feel comfortable and inspired to be themselves, discovering new capacities within that bring peace and playfulness. Come learn and grow with me!

Liza Ruggiero

As a former collegiate athlete, Liza was first attracted to yoga for the physical intensity and opening. As her life circumstances changed, her practice moved beyond the physical asana, offering an exploration of authenticity and presence. Ultimately, through her practice, she developed a more peaceful relationship with herself on and off the mat. These days, coming to her yoga mat is an experience of being present in her body and of knowing that she is enough - physically, mentally, and spiritually. Yoga continues to be a vehicle for transformation and healing in different ways in her life, and it is this process of transformation that she loves to share with others.

Liza invites her students to come as they are to her classes to experience a powerful, playful, and challenging vinyasa that also offers space for connection to breath, self, and community. In Liza's classes, students can expect an integration of invigorating power yoga with a restorative sequence designed to cultivate inner growth, self-compassion, and greater self-awareness. The practice of yoga can be such a beautiful metaphor for what's going on in our lives, and what we need or crave in our classes changes on a day-to-day basis. Liza's students are always invited to check in with themselves throughout their practice and to take what they need (and leave what they don't), creating space for an empowered and embodied experience.

MAUREEN O'BRIEN

I was first introduced to Yoga during my pregnancy 17 years ago. I was a competitive mountain biker, and had such a hard time going from training and racing to walks around the neighborhood. Yoga started as a way for me to get into my body and into my zone without getting my heartrate too high and developed into so much more throughout the years. It has been a path to connect with my true self and as a result be more authentic and present in all aspects of life. I completed my 200 hour training in December 2016 with Risa Gotlib at Tiny Buddha Yoga. I will be practicing yoga until I take my last breath. I can’t wait to share my love for yoga with the students at Tiny Buddha Yoga!

OLIVIA CARES

I first started practicing yoga as a way to cross train and increase flexibility during my years as an athlete. After "retiring" from other types of sport, I developed a dedicated yoga practice, finding that the effort made towards mental clarity through physical movement truly did alleviate many forms of personal suffering. When I moved back to Ann Arbor to start law school in 2016, I quickly made a yoga home at Tiny Buddha Yoga, where I completed my 200 hour RYT training in spring of 2017. I am so grateful for the community that yoga has brought me, and am honored by the opportunity to share this practice.

PHILLIPE O'BRIEN

I was introduced to yoga back in Ireland while doing my PhD as a way to deal with the pressures of school and life. In 2012, I came to the U.S. for work at the University of Michigan and, having left friends and family, I was was fortunate to find the TBY community. In 2016, I enrolled in teacher training to deepen my understanding of yoga which has been one of my best experiences I’ve had in the U.S. Of the many positive attributes that yoga brings, I particularly value is how it brings a greater sense of self while simultaneously being a communal practice.

RACHEL PORTNOY

I was an attorney before deciding to stay home to raise my children. It was at this time I discovered the profoundly healing mind-body benefits of yoga. I completed a 200 hour certified yoga teacher training program in 2006 and have been teaching in the Ann Arbor area ever since. I teach vinyasa, a dynamic, flowing style of yoga which incorporates breath and movement.

SARAH PROCARIO

I began my yoga journey three years ago as a means to deal with growing anxiety. Yoga offered me a tool to reconnect with my body and discover self-love, contentment, and purpose.

I dabbled with a home practice for while, but it wasn’t until I started practicing at Tiny Buddha Yoga that my practice truly took off. In addition to a welcoming space to practice, TBY provided me with teachers who transformed my physical practice and supported my internal journey of awareness & self-realization. In 2018, I completed Yoga Teacher Training at TBY. I am so excited to share my passion and support students as they discover the transformative gift of yoga.

SYLVIE KADEMIAN

I dabbled in yoga throughout my adult life, but finally got hooked on a daily asana practice as a way to help myself “heal” after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. Yoga has become my medication, allowing me to get off multiple immunosuppressives, keep my immune system in check, and has allowed me finally feel like myself again. Feeding off the energy of the wonderful community that exists at Tiny Buddha Yoga, I was inspired by the "right off the bat" acceptance for who I was - with or without my scars. I developed a longing to deepen my practice and pursued my RYT-200 with TBY in 2016. Through that experience it has become clear to me that not only am I meant to enjoy the gift that is yoga, but I am also meant to share that gift with others. For me, yoga has become more than just asana, it is a way to share my positivity, optimistic nature, and resilience with the world, in hopes to make one person at a time feel more and more like his or her truest self.